Five men have been sentenced following a serious assault at a mosque in St Albans.
The attackers were sentenced to over 16 years imprisonment at St Albans Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday, March 1).
The court heard that the men had lured a 45-year-old man to Hatfield Road's Jamie Mosque on June 4, 2020.
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The men then seriously assaulted him, before lying to cover their tracks.
On December 12, 2022, all five men were unanimously found guilty after a seven-week trial.
One of these men was Mohammed Mortuza, 50, a former councillor on London Colney Parish Council.
The Alexandra Road resident was sentenced to four years in jail for grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.
He was also sentenced to nine months in prison, for perverting the course of justice, of which he had previously pleaded guilty.
Cllr Malcolm MacMillan, chairman of London Colney Parish Council, commented: "Mr Mortuza resigned his seat on 19th December 2022, and he no longer has any links with London Colney Parish Council."
Mohammed Anam, 49, of Holyrood Crescent was sentenced to four and a half years – three years for GBH with intent, one year for perverting the course of justice and six months for attempted intimidation (towards the victim).
Anam had removed the CCTV, which would have captured the assault, and then lied to police stating the CCTV had been stolen.
The CCTV was never recovered.
Ali Choudhury, 49, of Wilshire Avenue, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for GBH with intent.
Mohammed Choudhury, 67, of Cell Barnes Lane, was sentenced to two years for GBH with intent and 12 months for perverting the course of justice.
Faisal Ahmed, 31, of Gorham Drive, was jailed for 12 months, suspended for 18 months, after being found guilty of inflicting GBH.
He must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 compensation to the victim.
All five individuals have had a five-year restraining order imposed on them.
DC Robert Davies said: “This was a serious assault which left a man with three broken ribs and resulted in him being hospitalised for over two weeks.
"He has recovered from his physical injuries but remains traumatised by what happened.
"He was lured to the Jamie Mosque via a text message sent by Mortuza.
"The five convicted men then set upon him and then tried to cover up their crime."
Officers from Hertfordshire police have attended Jamie Mosque for ongoing disputes, over a number of years.
DC Robert Davies continued: "In June 2020, tensions escalated when these five men made a calculated decision to harm this man.
"They ganged up on him, physically forcing him into the mosque entrance away from public eyes, or so they thought, and violently and collectively beat him, hitting him with such force that they broke three of his ribs.
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"This has been a complex two-and-a-half year investigation by the St Albans Local Crime Unit, supported hugely by the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, and Response Teams; we are pleased that these men have now been sentenced for their crimes.”
Two individuals witnessed the attack and gave evidence at the trial.
The judge, HHJ Michael Roques, said: “Broken ribs are very serious indeed and I have sympathy with the ongoing effects caused by the serious injuries.
“Each of you were not only of previous good character but were each upstanding and well-respected members of the Bangladeshi and the wider community.
"Not one of you has acknowledged your criminal behaviour. You have brought shame on yourself and your families.”
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